Consortium Terms & Conditions | Vertical Identity

Last updated: July 6, 2026

1. Purpose

Vertical Identity Consortium and Motor Carrier Member enter into this agreement to meet the requirements for a Random Drug & Alcohol Testing Program per DOT regulations (49 CFR 40.345). The Consortium acts as an intermediary in the transmission of limited drug and alcohol testing information to employers.

For Owner-Operator Motor Carriers with no designated employer representative (DER), the Consortium may act as DER under 49 CFR Part 382 Subpart Q exceptions. In that capacity, the Consortium is responsible for notifying, scheduling, and reporting random drug and alcohol tests, and for reporting refusals, failures to test, and notification issues to the FMCSA Clearinghouse.

2. Consortium obligations

Services provided to all members include:

Certificate of Enrollment with automatic yearly renewals
Notifications of safety-sensitive employees selected for random testing
Reminder service to Member's DER of employees not yet submitted to testing
Scheduling of tests at contracted facilities (20,000+ collection sites nationwide)
Records retention, recordkeeping, and administrative support
Semi-annual statistical report per 49 CFR Part 40.111
Preparation of annual MIS Report when required
Medical Review Officer (MRO) review on every drug test result
Clearinghouse violation reporting on positives and refusals

Note: Drug and alcohol testing fees are not included in subscription enrollment fees. Additional a la carte services are available, including pre-employment drug test, DOT physical, PSP/MVR driver files, Clearinghouse query, and background checks. Pricing is published at /dot-drug-testing/.

3. Member obligations

Provide a policy and procedures document regarding drug and alcohol testing
Provide an initial list of covered safety-sensitive employees and update as necessary
Maintain compliant files and assign a company drug & alcohol representative to work with the Consortium (unless the Consortium is acting as DER)
All drug and alcohol tests must be handled and managed by the Consortium; tests conducted outside the Consortium must be forwarded within 48 hours
Random testing must be scheduled immediately when notified per 49 CFR 382.305; failure to schedule results in the driver being reported as a Refusal to Test (RTT)
For credit/debit card payments, the member must be an authorized user and authorizes the Consortium to charge the card on file for renewals and a la carte services
The member is responsible for determining if consortium services are required and should verify with the FMCSA
The member is responsible for providing correct personal identifying information (PII)
The member must register with the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and grant Vertical Identity full Consortium/Third-Party Administrator (C/TPA) authority — to conduct queries and to report violations, including a driver's refusal to test — on the member's behalf; drivers must grant electronic consent when a full or pre-employment query is required. The Consortium cannot perform the Clearinghouse queries and reporting it is responsible for — including reporting a refusal — without this designation and consent
The member must keep a working email address and mobile phone number on file and may not block, filter, or unsubscribe from the Consortium's compliance communications; random-selection notices and testing deadlines are delivered by email and SMS, and blocking these channels can cause a missed random test — which is reported as a Refusal to Test
The member and its drivers must cooperate with random selections and treat Consortium staff professionally; because random selection is federally mandated and is not chosen by the Consortium, threatening, harassing, or abusive conduct toward Consortium staff is not permitted
Complimentary access to the Vertical Identity Driver Qualification File (DQF) platform is included for the member and its drivers while the consortium subscription is active; if the subscription is cancelled or lapses, complimentary DQF access ends. When standalone DQF-only access becomes available, the member may continue DQF at the then-current standard DQF rates
Violation of the agreement or failure to follow procedures may result in expulsion from the Consortium, which may be reported to DOT for non-compliance

4. Subscription membership fees

All subscriptions are recurring and renew automatically on an annual basis
Annual membership fee is required to remain enrolled
Renewal fees are determined by the number of active CDL drivers in the consortium or the number listed in SAFER (whichever is greater) at the time of renewal
Owner-operator pricing: $85 per year for the first driver, $25 per year for each additional driver
Fleet 295 (flat-rate plan for fleets up to 295 drivers): $295 per year
Pricing in effect at the time of enrollment is locked for the first term; renewal fees use then-current published rates

5. A la carte service fees

Payment is required at the time of service order — QuickApp does not deliver until payment clears
Member is charged for each service or component requested
Member is responsible for the cost of all drug tests, including split-specimen tests ($250 if requested by the donor)
Direct-observed collections add $30 above the standard test fee
Hospital and rural collection sites may incur additional fees, quoted at the time of order

6. Cancellation procedure

Subscription cancellation

Cancellations before the renewal date are processed without penalty
Cancellations on or after the renewal date are subject to a $20 administrative fee if the Certificate of Enrollment has been issued for that renewal term
Once the Certificate of Enrollment has been issued for a term, membership fees for that term are non-refundable
If a Certificate has been issued and the Member requests cancellation, the Consortium may report the Member to the FMCSA as non-compliant unless a signed Consortium Cancellation Request is submitted (this is a federal reporting obligation, not a punitive measure)

Cancellation for non-cooperation or cause

Refusing or failing to appear for a random drug or alcohol test is reported to the FMCSA Clearinghouse as a Refusal to Test
Because the Consortium is accountable to DOT for the integrity of its random testing program, repeated refusals, missed selections, or failure to cooperate with required testing may result in removal from the Consortium — the Consortium relies on member cooperation to meet its own federal obligations
Blocking required communications, withholding the Clearinghouse designation or consent needed to perform mandated queries and reporting, or threatening, harassing, or abusive conduct toward Consortium staff may result in cancellation of the member's account; the Consortium will notify the member of any such cancellation
A member removed for non-compliance or cause may be reported to the FMCSA as non-compliant, consistent with the Consortium's federal reporting obligations

7. Refund policy

The Consortium does not offer prorated refunds for cancelled subscriptions
All subscriptions automatically renew at the end of the paid period
No transfer, proration, discount, or refund is provided if cancelled before the term ends
No refunds for cancelled a la carte services if already executed
Refunds may be issued if the Consortium made an error
Expired drug test passports are non-refundable
Missed random drug/alcohol tests are not refunded or credited (FMCSA random program design — they cannot be rescheduled)

8. Conduct & non-disparagement

The Consortium and the member agree to communicate with professional respect and not to engage in abusive, threatening, or harassing conduct toward each other's staff
The member agrees not to make knowingly false or misleading statements intended to disparage the Consortium or its staff

9. Contact

For questions about these terms and conditions, contact us at [email protected] or call (602) 899-1606. For privacy-related inquiries, see our Privacy Policy.

Consortium terms & conditions.

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